The Only Exception
by Venillashiz
Summary: It was unprofessional, she reminded herself. But God knew that she’d stopped caring about looking professional long ago. Charah, one-shot. Songfic, based on the song "The Only Exception" by Paramore.


A/N: Whooo! Two oneshots in a row! Hahaha, I am so going to fail my exams, but I really felt bad cause I won't be able to update "Chuck Vs The Torture" till at least next Wednesday. I hope you guys enjoy this. A slightly angsty story about how Sarah's issues with love. Reviews are amazing, and so are you if you review! (:

Paramore's new album came out a few days ago, and I'm completely in love with it. It's simply amazing, and you should go pick it up! "brand new eyes" by Paramore! This fic is based on "The Only Exception", from that very album.

theprincess1511, you are awesome. How is it that whenever I'm in need of some editting, you just pop up online and talk to me?  
We've got a connection, dude!

Thanks for reading :D Sorry for any mistakes! I don't own "Chuck" or "The Only Exception" by Paramore.

* * *

Nine year old Jenna Lisa Williams whimpered as she cowered under her plush blanket. Her bedroom floor was littered with soft toys and her story books were strewn messily across her desk. Bedtime had been hours ago, but she could barely fall asleep. No, she couldn't sleep with mummy and daddy screaming at each other like that.

Her soft golden locks rested against her tearstained pillow as she ran a lazy hand over her eyes, brushing away the tears that threatened to spill over. Daddy had always taught her that crying made people look weak, but she had seen the times that he – the most important person in her world, the best daddy ever, in her opinion – had lost control of his emotions. The crashing of glass caused her to bury herself even deeper under the covers as she recoiled in fear, almost as if the glass had been thrown at her.

_**When I was younger  
I saw my daddy cry  
And curse at the wind  
He broke his own heart  
And I watched  
As he tried to reassemble it**_

But when she heard the loud bang of the door being slammed closed, followed by the deafening screech of tires right outside her window, Jenna couldn't help but let out a choked sob. She raised her blanket up to her chin, and squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

Tears were already cascading down her face as she peeked through the small crack of her bedroom door. Daddy was sitting on the couch with his face buried in his hands, but mummy wasn't there. He lifted his head and rested his head on the edge of the sofa.

"Come here, darlin'… Daddy, uh, has some news for you."

Jenna, slightly startled that her father was aware of her presence, made her way toward the black leather couch, weaving through the appalling mess, known as the living room. Her eyes picked up every detail, hoping to find a clue of where her mother had disappeared to. She plopped herself down right next to the towering frame of her father, and sat cross-legged, an unspoken question reflected in her eyes.

Jack Williams looked down at his little girl with a fake smile that he hoped looked convincingly real. His red eyes gave him away, but he wasn't sure if he could handle if his Jenny Bear started crying.

"Jenny, sweet pea, mummy's taking a little trip by herself, and she'll be back before you know it. So how about you and I both take a little time off tomorrow to go get some Rocky Road, huh? How 'bout it, darlin'?"

Jenna nodded once, offering an encouraging smile, but did not say anything. It was obvious that her daddy was lying to her. Mummy wasn't coming back. She had made it pretty clear with the clothes that were left on the ground when she had hastily packed and left the house.

And Jenna was right. Her mother never returned, and her father tried his best to raise her single-handedly. By the time she turned twelve, Jenna was living in a new town, with a new name and a new life. She had adopted her father's pet name for her, Jenny, and her last name had been changed to Burton while her father remained as Jack. As two professional conmen, they supported each other as they went through towns pulling heists and cons for a living. It was a dream; living on the road with her beloved dad and doing something she found exciting and exhilarating.

But she could see how hurt her dad was, and how the hole in his heart could never fully heal. That was when she told herself that she would never fall in love. She would never subject herself to that kind of torture if a relationship didn't work out. She convinced herself that true love never existed, and she would never go looking for it.

_**And my momma swore that  
She would never let herself forget  
And that was the day I promised  
I'd never sing of love  
If it does not exist  
**_

* * *

Sarah Walker had always despised love. She hated how much destruction it would cause when love failed, when relationships didn't last. Granted that she'd never been in many relationships in her lifetime, she had been through enough emotional turmoil to know that she sucked at relationships.

She had never worked so hard to make a relationship work before, much less reinforcing her cover one, but she's somehow enjoying the fact that the charming, curly-locked angel is treating her like he would a real girlfriend. With each protective wall that she had built around her heart, Chuck had been tearing them down each time he flashed his brilliant smile at her or did little gestures like bothering to spend his lunch break with her, or simply sharing a cheeseburger with her.

_**But darlin,  
You are the only exception  
You are the only exception  
You are the only exception  
You are the only exception**_

She was hopelessly compromised in this particular assignment, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she got reassigned. She knew that once she left, she might have a chance of rebuilding those walls that had been torn down by her feelings for Chuck. But the more dominant part of her character, the agent in her, wasn't allowing her to say anything about her forbidden feelings for her asset. It was unprofessional, she reminded herself. But God knew that she'd stopped caring about looking professional long ago.

**_Maybe I know, somewhere  
Deep in my soul  
That love never lasts  
And we've got to find other ways  
To make it alone  
__Or keep a straight face_**

She decided to suffer in silence.

The gem of the CIA wasn't supposed to be compromised. The rising star in espionage wasn't supposed to be in love with her asset. But she was in too deep to pull out now. Throughout her life as a CIA agent and the countless missions she had partaken in, she had always been alone, spiritually and emotionally. With Bryce, sure, she had been there physically, and their relationship was simply a way of releasing their pent up emotions that were garnered during their missions together. No doubt, she had cared about him and they had a strong connection as partners, but what she thought she had felt for him was just pure infatuation.

_**And I've always lived like this  
Keeping a comfortable, distance  
And up until now  
I had sworn to myself that I'm content  
With loneliness  
Because none of it was ever worth the risk**_

She didn't realize that she had been miserable most of the time. She didn't realize that, even when she tried so hard to be happy, she was anything but. All things considered, her job was always her first priority. Anything that stood behind her job meant little to her. After all, her job was the only thing that had saved her when her father had been arrested. The CIA had groomed her to perfection and taught her everything she knew. They had transformed the ugly duckling into a beautiful swan, and Jenna Williams was left in the past. She was Sarah Walker now.

* * *

As the shimmering sunlight streamed through the curtained windows, Sarah sighed contently as the warm glow of the morning sun bathed her skin. She buried her face into her pillow as Chuck's protective arm rested around her torso.

Their cover date had ended in something real.

They were in her apartment, and free from any bugs or cameras, but she felt so exposed. In a way, it was a comforting feeling. To simply share a piece of herself with the man she cared for deeply, made her feel something like never before, she finally felt the thrill of something she had only imagined before.

But she had to escape from his intoxicating scent and sight for a while. Just to sort out her thoughts, and to pinch herself enough to safely say it wasn't just a dream.

_**I've got a tight grip on reality  
But I can't  
Let go of what's in front of me here  
I know you're leaving  
In the morning, when you wake up  
Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream**_

She wasn't going to act like the previous night wasn't real; No, she couldn't do that to Chuck, and more importantly, herself. She knew that she was already so close to being emotionally stunted, and trying to deny what had happened wasn't going to make her feel anything less for the man who was sleeping soundly next to her.

So, she left a note on her pillow, next to his, to explain that she needed some time to think. She started up her Porsche and drove down to her favourite place in LA, the beach. Not just any beach, it was the beach where she first asked Chuck to trust her. The beach were she had first felt the tugging of her heartstrings when she'd seen Chuck's solemn expression as he grasped the reality that he was indeed, the Intersect.

She could've sat there for hours, if not for the tall, lanky man who sat down next to her on the sand, about two hours after she'd first left for some quiet contemplation. They sat in silence, neither speaking, but both basking in the therapeutic sound of the crashing waves and the beautiful pristine water that lapped against their feet.

"Be patient with me, Chuck." She whispered gently as her hand reached out to grasp his tightly, the unspoken promise of love apparent in her voice.

Sarah Walker had always despised love, but she was well on her way to believing.

_**And I'm on my way to believing.  
Oh, and I'm on my way to believing.**_


End file.
